From Fort Worth to Spokane, Zags all the way Camesha and Chad Little began a new life in Spokane in September 2017 when Camesha accepted an offer with Gonzaga School of Law. Chad is employed here now as well, as a building coordinator in the Hemmingson Center, while working on a post-baccalaureate degree in preparation for medical school. The Littles both grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and met in high school. To this day, their parents still live five minutes from one another. Leaving family behind was a harder adjustment for them than facing the eastern Washington winters; Camesha loves our changing seasons. She wasted no time immersing herself in Spokane community causes. She helped with the Friends of the Black Lens fundraising efforts for the new Carl Maxey Center in the East Central Community. Continuing the work she enjoyed as a lawyer in Fort Worth, Camesha is co-chair for the Diversity Section of the Spokane County Bar Association, where her leadership is focused on growing community for attorneys of color,
women, and members of the LGBTQ+ legal community. Here at the Law School, Camesha is assistant dean of students and the director of the academic and bar exam support program. It’s a broad role that encompasses providing student services Camesha and Chad Little such as accommodations support, crisis/emergency resources, and oversight Camesha and Chad are big fans of college of student life organizations; in addition to bar basketball. During the 2017 tournament run, exam and study skills coaching. back in Texas, Camesha was rooting for the Zags “Little did I know, this role was a perfect fit to win it all, and little did she know she would get for me,” Camesha says. “I had practiced as an to root for them in person during the very next attorney for a short time and went into academic season. work. I was ready for advancement in my career, Here’s a hearty March Madness welcome to yet and my undergrad area of study was social work, another Gonzaga employee couple. which fits perfectly in this role.”
WCC Tournament Format Changes; Zag Teams Won’t Play until Semifinals Beginning with the 2019 WCC Basketball Tournament, March 7-12 in Las Vegas, the men’s and women’s championship format will change, whereby seeds 7-10 will compete in the opening round (Thursday), the winners meeting seeds 5-6 in the second round (Friday), those winners playing seeds 3-4 in the third round (Saturday), and those victors meeting the top two seeds in the semifinal round (Monday). The championship games are Tuesday. Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Mon.
Tues.
#8
Winner Winner Winner #1 #4 #5 #9 Champion
Winner Winner Winner Winner #2 #3 #6 #10
Mission: Possible is celebrating 20 years of serving others over spring break. March 9-16, 75 Gonzaga students, staff members Ally Clapp, So Yung Park, Jim Simon, Jeff Dodd, Darcy Phillips, Christina Thomas and Ben Goodwin, and assistant professor Kathy Nitta will work in community with local folks in New York, Knoxville, Montgomery, Chicago, San Francisco, Tacoma and Neah Bay, Wash. Simon reflects on a previous Mission:Possible trip. “Mission: Possible begins with a bus ride, usually very early in the morning. Groggy students arrive at DeSmet circle from every direction. What we have in common is a commitment to scatter and serve through the Center for Community Engagement’s Mission: Possible trip. “Our education and service work revolves around sustainability’s many forms. One day, you might find us clearing the invasive species French Broom from a former hillside quarry in the Marin Headlands and the next in the Mission District learning about the impact of gentrification on people of color.
Winner
#7
Making Positive Change in U.S.
“If sustainability is about the intersections of people, planet and prosperity, the trip explores all of these areas, making effortless connections between what is learned in the Bay Area and what could be done in the Inland Northwest about habitat restoration, waste reduction and climate change. Students have returned from the Mission: Possible trip to San Francisco and applied to the Student Green Fund to do projects related to what they learned on the trip. “Mission: Possible is a fantastic opportunity for me, as a staff member, to be a co-educator in these student journeys. I often say that one week of Mission: Possible is like six months of meetings and relationship building back on campus. I’ve watched many of the trip participants go on to work or serve in sustainability related fields, and I have even hired a few of them to work as student assistants in my office. “Mission: Possible ends with a bus ride back from the airport. There’s a buzz about the work we did. We have in common is a commitment to sew what we’ve learned, on campus and in our communities.”
VIEW ONLINE AT: www.gonzaga.edu/spirit
spirit GONZAGA FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSLETTER
›› Kindling Careers, 2 ›› Living Large, 3 ›› A Perfect Fit, 4 MARCH 2019 | VOL 20 | #6
REMEMBERING THE START OF 20-YEAR ZAG TOURNAMENT RUN It’s almost an afterthought among current Gonzaga fans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that amazing run to the Elite Eight of the 1999 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament that ignited a streak of consecutive tourney appearances that now stretches into its third decade. But Spirit didn’t want to let the occasion pass without a reflection on those two weeks in March, 20 years ago, that remains as meaningful today as it was then to a Zag Nation that was only beginning to build at the end of the century. My wife, Mary (’84), was a week away from delivering our second child, Brook (’21), and there was no way I could make the trip to Phoenix for the Regional NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games, March 18-20. On the 20th anniversary of Gonzaga’s breakout season that saw the Zags power through So we sat together in our family room with the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, the 2019 men’s basketball team is looking our almost-5-year-old, Ben (’16), and watched to to extend its tournament streak to 21 straight years . . . heading into the last week of the as Gonzaga defeated Florida on a most regular season as the country’s top-ranked team. dramatic Casey Calvary tip, and advanced to the Elite Eight. Monson, Mark Few and Bill Grier – the There was no program, no trumpets guys who had built that amazing team. With blaring or cheerleaders chanting. There a huge lump in my throat, I drove to campus. was just “together.” The mayor, a county Men’s Basketball It just seemed like that was the place to be. To commissioner, judges, civic leaders, alumni, By the Numbers my surprise, so did an estimated 1,500 other supporters, students, faculty and staff. All of loving Gonzaga fans. We assembled in front us, in one spot, to share our great joy in this NCAA Tournament of Crosby Center and the Bing statue, and team. We must have milled around for more Appearances 21 (1995, 1999-2018) streamed northbound down DeSmet alley to than an hour before the crowd started to Tournament Record 31-21 the east circle of the Administration Building dissipate, talking about the previous game, Last Year Sweet 16 (now College Hall). It was packed. News sets the missed shot by Quentin Hall and the from all three Spokane TV stations, who had steamroller-like charge to the bucket and putbeen camped out on our campus for the past back by the mighty Casey, with 4 seconds left. We would lose by 5 to eventual national And how time stopped for those 4 seconds, champion Connecticut in that next game, but week, were there to capture it all. every Zag fan around the world holding their the indelible mark the Zags left on Division breath until the clock rolled to 0:00, in what I basketball that March has not worn thin in seemed like slow motion. Women Zags Continue to Roll two decades. This year’s tournament will be 21 straight for the Bulldogs, fourth longest We’re into our third straight decade of NCAA Quick Facts current streak of NCAA appearances behind tournament success now, with nine Sweet Won 14 of last 15 WCC Titles a few teams you may have heard of: Kansas Sixteens, two other Elite Eights and one Won 8 WCC Tourney Titles (29), Duke (23) and Michigan State (21). championship game added to our resume. But Been to 9 of last 10 NCAA Tournaments no one who was around since 1999 will forget I remember feeling so overwhelmed with that Cinderella season, and the Zag love we all First appearance 2007 pride that Saturday afternoon, despite the shared. God bless our University. loss. Proud of each one of those student4 times to the Sweet 16 athletes who had represented our beloved Dale Goodwin (’86) 1 time to the Elite Eight Gonzaga so well, and their coaches – Dan Spirit Editor
MARCH 2019
AROUND CAMPUS >>Admission Counselor Kenji Linane-Booey received the Ned Tibby Award from the College Board’s Western Region, recognizing his outstanding participation in last year’s conference. >>A Liturgy of Lament gives voice to God’s people, acknowledging the sins of the church in the abuse of minors and its cover-up, and seeks to stand with victims, March 6, 7:30 p.m., St. Al’s Church. >>The #icommit Movement starts on campus March 7, 7 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom, to promote men becoming their best selves. Other events this month: >>Jean-Luc Brédas delivers the O’Leary Lecture on Organic Electronics, March 19, 7:30 p.m., Wolff Auditorium. >>Don Kardong presents the Pigott Lecture on Creating, Building and Sustaining the Lilac Bloomsday Run, March 20, 6 p.m., Wolff Auditorium. Reception at 5:30. >>Military Science Army ROTC Military Ball, open to everyone, March 22, 6-10 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom. >>Author Timothy Egan presents the Davis Lecture, “Toward a Shared National Narrative,” March 25, 7 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom. >>Vincent Alfonso, Addy Wissel and Joe Engler discuss “Early Childhood Education: Importance, Practice, and Future Directions,” at the Greater Gonzaga Guild Lecture, March 26, 10:30 a.m., Herak Club Room, McCarthey Athletic Center; coffee and networking at 10. All welcome. >>Jennifer Parks presents the Rukavina Lecture on “Who’s Your Mama? Assisted Reproductive Technology and the Decline of Motherhood,” March 26, 4 p.m., Hemmingson Auditorium. >>Marie-Christine Nizzi delivers the Arnold Lecture, “Becoming Human,” March 26, 6 p.m., Wolff Auditorium. >>Diversity Monologues, “Reclaiming OURselves”, March 27, 6 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom >>Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” March 28-30, 7:30 p.m., Magnuson Theatre. >>Fr. Eric Watson, S.J., presents “The Faith of a Jesuit Chemist: Reflections on the Relationship Between Religion and Science,” March 29, noon, Wolff Auditorium.
PAGE 2
HONORS PROGRAM ADAPTING TO CHANGES The baton has been passed, and the road ahead is pretty smooth, despite significant transition in the 60-year-old Honors Program.
New Hires
Fr. Tim Clancy, S.J., who directed the program over 15 years, handed off to his Associate Director Linda Tredennick last spring. She is not out to change the world, but to adapt the program to a vastly different cultural and global environment than it was when the program began in 1958. “Our biggest priority is making sure our curriculum is coherent, up to date, and in line with Gonzaga’s mission and values,” says Tredennick, who has taught at GU for 15 years, and in the Honors Program for the past 12. “We serve students from every major across campus, and we must continue to support them and help them thrive.” Some visible changes to the program include: the razing of the Hopkins House, which allowed for scarce quiet space and no expansion; a new living-learning community in Crimont Hall where about half of the first-year Honors Program students reside; and new headquarters in the Humanities Building. The new, flexible classroom in the Humanities Building is ideally suited to Honors education. “I teach a threehour freshman colloquial class on Spokane as a social, cultural and political unit. Because we have interactive computer pods in that room, I can break students out into small groups, each group can find different sources of information, then the groups bring the research back and share with the whole. This kind of classroom flexibility allows us to put the responsibility on students to determine the kind of work they need to do, how they want to learn and what they want to discover,” Tredennick says. The new path has not been without a few bumps. The seniors, for example, are mourning the loss of Hopkins House as the program’s headquarters. “But we are deeply fortunate that Fr. Clancy has been so willing to continue his relationship with so many of our Honors students,” Tredennick says. She adds, “He has taught me
Director Linda Treddenick in front of the new Honors Program offices in the Humanities Building.
a lot about formation of community and mentorship.” One remarkable statistic: About 90 percent of Gonzaga’s Honors Program members complete the program and graduate from GU. “My colleagues around the country can hardly believe that rate,” Tredennick says. “Our students are so engaged and loyal to our program. It speaks to the remarkable community that is Honors. And I am committed to keep that community strong as we move forward.” One of the goals Tredennick had when she assumed the role as associate director more than three years ago was to grow the program. The Honors Program roll increased from nearly 90 to 150 students. “We’re at a good place now,” she says. “With as much change as we’ve had in the last few years, we need to take a moment to reflect on what we want to be going forward. First and foremost, we’re an academic program. The Honors Program is intellectually central to Gonzaga’s educational enterprise. If we aspire to be a premier academic institution, then the Honors Program should be our flagship.” Now, if we can successfully convince the students that Crimont is a great living and learning space . . .
Faculty Teaming with CPD to Help Students in Career Pursuits Gonzaga’s Career & Professional Development staff is training faculty members to be ‘career kindlers,’ equipped with some essential career coaching tools to assist students in career planning. The Faculty Career Kindler Program was piloted last academic year as a collaborative effort between CPD staff and faculty to offer GU students appropriate help in their career pursuits. Fifty-one were part of the initial class of career kindlers. The program was offered campus-wide this fall with 17 additional faculty participants. The name comes from the classic Ignatian quote, “Go forth and set the world on fire.” Through the program, CPD is hoping faculty will kindle the flames students need to discern how to fulfill their potential as men and women for others. Faculty are trained during four, one-hour sessions – or one 4-hour Saturday session – that flexibly fit into a busy weekly schedule. They are introduced to functions and goals of CPD, how to incorporate career planning information into curriculum, and a review of careersearch assets. Those faculty who complete the course are honored in the spring. Molly Pepper, associate dean for Undergraduate Programs in the School of Business, completed the
NOTEWORTHY
training and realized the benefits of the program went beyond just advising. One of the kindlers in the business school said the training would not only be helpful in her professional career, but as a tool to help her college-age daughter with the career-search process. “The program has provided a system that allows faculty to get involved at their own pace and rewards their participation in helping students achieve career outcomes,” she says. Similar praise comes from Jonathan Rossing, Communications Department chair. “While academic affairs and student development divisions can often operate in silos, this program intentionally brings together different academic and student support units in service of our students’ development and common good,” he says. He even designed a new course for seniors titled Crafting Professional Identity, a cross-major program intending to give students the tools to tell a “compelling and persuasive story about the skills, abilities and competencies they’ve developed across our curriculum.” To learn more about the Career Kindler Program, visit http://www.gonzaga.edu/career-kindler, or contact Mary Heitkemper at ext. 4231.
Tom Chester, associate vice president, Human Resources; Peter Rossing, marketing manager, Woldson PAC; Jon Carlson, production manager, Woldson PAC; Taylor Aichel, director, Sponsored Research; Joseph Siddons, research and data analyst, Institutional Research; Patricia Hetu-Tkacik, career development facilitator, Career & Professional Dev; Julie Silbar, ticketing services supervisor, Woldson PAC; Michelle O’Connell, program asst II, Woldson PAC; Morgan Owen, program coordinator, UMEC; LaShantay Walls, counselor, Admission; Riana Slyter, counselor, Admission; Sharon Maher, program asst II, Visit Office; Taylor Sims, asst researcher, Study Abroad
New Positions/Promotions
Nathan Mannetter, associate director, Admission; Rubena Cela, instructional designer, Virtual Campus; Mary Jean Spadafora, admission application specialist, Virtual Campus; Darci Bierman, program assistant, Communication Studies, Theatre & Dance, Integrated Media
Goodbyes
Meghan McNeil, asst marketing director, Athletics; Michael Sass, asst director, Admission; Victoria Cutting, health educator, Cura Personalis; Jennifer Smelko, senior graphic designer, Athletics; Rachel Tamura, program asst, Communication Studies
Anniversaries
50 35 25 20 5
Ken Sammons, director, Plant
FOCUS ON... ICEMAN At 68, few are thinking about hanging from the vertical surface of an ice face with little more than a pick and sharp cleats . . . FOR THE FIRST TIME! “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” mused Ron Large, associate academic vice president. Ron’s youngest of three children, Marty, 31, asked his dad to join him in an ice-climbing adventure in December at Hyalite Canyon, near Bozeman, Montana. Marty works for the YMCA in Spokane, and is Mountain School co-director for the Spokane Mountaineers. So why would Large consider this? “Certainly, it was something I’d never done before, a new challenge. My son’s willingness to train me was part of it. It was a role reversal, him teaching me instead of the other way around,” Large says. “He is very incremental – do this, then do this, step by step. It works.” Ron’s first question was, “Am I likely to fall?” Second question was, “How difficult is this?” Marty helped Ron learn the technique of ice climbing. They built a plywood wall in Ron’s backyard on which to practice. Because most ice climbs require packing in for some distance, Ron walked regularly on a treadmill for a month before his first climb, carrying a 25-pound backpack, which would normally contain warm clothing, ice tools, climbing harness, cramp-ons, ropes, ice screws, quickdraws, carabiners and a helmet. Ron had such fun in December that he and Marty went ice climbing near Canmore, Alberta, in January.
Allen Albano, locksmith, Plant
Debra Eldredge, prospect development specialist, University Advancement Darci Bierman, program assst., Communication Studies, Theatre & Dance, Integrated Media; Emily Livingston, curriculum coordinator, Registrar’s; Audrey Minton, senior transfer counselor, Admission; Amy Smith, admissions specialist, Admission; Michael Thompson, payroll director, Controller’s Kathleen Nollenberger, program coordinator, Global Engagement, and husband Matt had a baby girl, Althea; Andrew Brajcich, associate professor, Accounting, and wife Alexandra had a baby boy, Edward; Kirk Besmer, professor of Philosophy, and wife Jessica Allen had a baby boy, Tate; Amy Smith, admissions specialist, Virtual Campus, and husband Channing had a baby girl, Rylie; Kristina Li, accommodations specialist, Disability Access, and husband Leo had a baby boy, Luka.
At 68, why not try ice climbing for the first time? Ron Large did.
“I consider myself fairly athletic. I’ve always been outside, hiking, biking, kayaking. I just challenged myself, ‘Can you do this?’” Ron is a Rudolf regular, running or biking three to four days a week. And his physical conditioning only makes him better at his job in College Hall. A professor of Religious Studies here since 1988, Ron served as associate dean of Arts & Sciences for three years, and for the past seven years as associate AVP. Ron’s running on a full tank, indeed.
Efforts to Reduce Energy Use, Emissions Recognized
Dalean Neiner, Support Tech II, ITS
Cradle Call
COMETH
Every donation to Zags Give Day on March 19 will be matched by a generous Gonzaga family. This year’s bracket-style twist pits GU favorites against one another in head-to-head challenges in which each icon that inspires the most unrestricted scholarship gifts will advance into the next round until an overall champion is named. Learn more at gonzaga.edu/zagsgiveday.
Gonzaga was honored with the 2019 Clean Air Award by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency for its exemplary work to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions through voluntary measures and innovative practices. In the last 10 years, GU has seen a 23-percent increase in gross square footage of the buildings it manages – 2.9 million square feet requiring lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation. During that time the University’s overall consumption of natural gas has dropped by 27 percent, electric consumption grew by only 4 percent, and overall emissions have decreased by implementing strategies to increase campus energy efficiency. Ken Sammons, Tomson Spink, Jim Angelosante and Jim Simon were recognized on behalf of the University.
Productive Discomfort becoming Topic of Discussion Among Faculty
In the Jesuit tradition, a group on campus is leaning into the tension and engaging in a series of “Productive Discomfort” sessions.
In a renewal of longstanding efforts, a core group of Gonzaga faculty (and some staff) are engaging in conversations to improve fluency about teaching in a more inclusive way, says assistant professor Jeff Dodd, director of the Center for Teaching and Advising. “We’ve tried to identify areas where we can enhance the programming for faculty who are seeking enrichment in other areas,” says Dodd. “Among those is an emphasis on inclusive pedagogy and inclusive educational practices, as
well as thinking more deeply about how issues approaches and practical considerations. relating to factors of identity influence classroom In several instances, faculty members said dynamics.” the journey has enlightened their personal perspectives. Dodd is facilitating the sessions along with Raymond Reyes, chief diversity officer. The The productive discussions dovetail with group gathers monthly to immerse in relevant programming designed to help ready the topics, and for the purpose of intentionally University for the fall 2019 launch of the Critical fostering a dynamic community. Another benefit Race and Ethnic Studies minor. A full-day of the group is that members are informed about academic conference on best practices for opportunities for professional development and teaching in more inclusive ways was held in late continuing education. February and the group plans to continue the conversations monthly through the rest of the Nearly two dozen staff and faculty gathered over year. a lunch hour in January and enthusiastically discussed relevant theoretical educational
PAGE 3
AROUND CAMPUS >>Admission Counselor Kenji Linane-Booey received the Ned Tibby Award from the College Board’s Western Region, recognizing his outstanding participation in last year’s conference. >>A Liturgy of Lament gives voice to God’s people, acknowledging the sins of the church in the abuse of minors and its cover-up, and seeks to stand with victims, March 6, 7:30 p.m., St. Al’s Church. >>The #icommit Movement starts on campus March 7, 7 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom, to promote men becoming their best selves. Other events this month: >>Jean-Luc Brédas delivers the O’Leary Lecture on Organic Electronics, March 19, 7:30 p.m., Wolff Auditorium. >>Don Kardong presents the Pigott Lecture on Creating, Building and Sustaining the Lilac Bloomsday Run, March 20, 6 p.m., Wolff Auditorium. Reception at 5:30. >>Military Science Army ROTC Military Ball, open to everyone, March 22, 6-10 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom. >>Author Timothy Egan presents the Davis Lecture, “Toward a Shared National Narrative,” March 25, 7 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom. >>Vincent Alfonso, Addy Wissel and Joe Engler discuss “Early Childhood Education: Importance, Practice, and Future Directions,” at the Greater Gonzaga Guild Lecture, March 26, 10:30 a.m., Herak Club Room, McCarthey Athletic Center; coffee and networking at 10. All welcome. >>Jennifer Parks presents the Rukavina Lecture on “Who’s Your Mama? Assisted Reproductive Technology and the Decline of Motherhood,” March 26, 4 p.m., Hemmingson Auditorium. >>Marie-Christine Nizzi delivers the Arnold Lecture, “Becoming Human,” March 26, 6 p.m., Wolff Auditorium. >>Diversity Monologues, “Reclaiming OURselves”, March 27, 6 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom >>Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” March 28-30, 7:30 p.m., Magnuson Theatre. >>Fr. Eric Watson, S.J., presents “The Faith of a Jesuit Chemist: Reflections on the Relationship Between Religion and Science,” March 29, noon, Wolff Auditorium.
PAGE 2
HONORS PROGRAM ADAPTING TO CHANGES The baton has been passed, and the road ahead is pretty smooth, despite significant transition in the 60-year-old Honors Program.
New Hires
Fr. Tim Clancy, S.J., who directed the program over 15 years, handed off to his Associate Director Linda Tredennick last spring. She is not out to change the world, but to adapt the program to a vastly different cultural and global environment than it was when the program began in 1958. “Our biggest priority is making sure our curriculum is coherent, up to date, and in line with Gonzaga’s mission and values,” says Tredennick, who has taught at GU for 15 years, and in the Honors Program for the past 12. “We serve students from every major across campus, and we must continue to support them and help them thrive.” Some visible changes to the program include: the razing of the Hopkins House, which allowed for scarce quiet space and no expansion; a new living-learning community in Crimont Hall where about half of the first-year Honors Program students reside; and new headquarters in the Humanities Building. The new, flexible classroom in the Humanities Building is ideally suited to Honors education. “I teach a threehour freshman colloquial class on Spokane as a social, cultural and political unit. Because we have interactive computer pods in that room, I can break students out into small groups, each group can find different sources of information, then the groups bring the research back and share with the whole. This kind of classroom flexibility allows us to put the responsibility on students to determine the kind of work they need to do, how they want to learn and what they want to discover,” Tredennick says. The new path has not been without a few bumps. The seniors, for example, are mourning the loss of Hopkins House as the program’s headquarters. “But we are deeply fortunate that Fr. Clancy has been so willing to continue his relationship with so many of our Honors students,” Tredennick says. She adds, “He has taught me
Director Linda Treddenick in front of the new Honors Program offices in the Humanities Building.
a lot about formation of community and mentorship.” One remarkable statistic: About 90 percent of Gonzaga’s Honors Program members complete the program and graduate from GU. “My colleagues around the country can hardly believe that rate,” Tredennick says. “Our students are so engaged and loyal to our program. It speaks to the remarkable community that is Honors. And I am committed to keep that community strong as we move forward.” One of the goals Tredennick had when she assumed the role as associate director more than three years ago was to grow the program. The Honors Program roll increased from nearly 90 to 150 students. “We’re at a good place now,” she says. “With as much change as we’ve had in the last few years, we need to take a moment to reflect on what we want to be going forward. First and foremost, we’re an academic program. The Honors Program is intellectually central to Gonzaga’s educational enterprise. If we aspire to be a premier academic institution, then the Honors Program should be our flagship.” Now, if we can successfully convince the students that Crimont is a great living and learning space . . .
Faculty Teaming with CPD to Help Students in Career Pursuits Gonzaga’s Career & Professional Development staff is training faculty members to be ‘career kindlers,’ equipped with some essential career coaching tools to assist students in career planning. The Faculty Career Kindler Program was piloted last academic year as a collaborative effort between CPD staff and faculty to offer GU students appropriate help in their career pursuits. Fifty-one were part of the initial class of career kindlers. The program was offered campus-wide this fall with 17 additional faculty participants. The name comes from the classic Ignatian quote, “Go forth and set the world on fire.” Through the program, CPD is hoping faculty will kindle the flames students need to discern how to fulfill their potential as men and women for others. Faculty are trained during four, one-hour sessions – or one 4-hour Saturday session – that flexibly fit into a busy weekly schedule. They are introduced to functions and goals of CPD, how to incorporate career planning information into curriculum, and a review of careersearch assets. Those faculty who complete the course are honored in the spring. Molly Pepper, associate dean for Undergraduate Programs in the School of Business, completed the
NOTEWORTHY
training and realized the benefits of the program went beyond just advising. One of the kindlers in the business school said the training would not only be helpful in her professional career, but as a tool to help her college-age daughter with the career-search process. “The program has provided a system that allows faculty to get involved at their own pace and rewards their participation in helping students achieve career outcomes,” she says. Similar praise comes from Jonathan Rossing, Communications Department chair. “While academic affairs and student development divisions can often operate in silos, this program intentionally brings together different academic and student support units in service of our students’ development and common good,” he says. He even designed a new course for seniors titled Crafting Professional Identity, a cross-major program intending to give students the tools to tell a “compelling and persuasive story about the skills, abilities and competencies they’ve developed across our curriculum.” To learn more about the Career Kindler Program, visit http://www.gonzaga.edu/career-kindler, or contact Mary Heitkemper at ext. 4231.
Tom Chester, associate vice president, Human Resources; Peter Rossing, marketing manager, Woldson PAC; Jon Carlson, production manager, Woldson PAC; Taylor Aichel, director, Sponsored Research; Joseph Siddons, research and data analyst, Institutional Research; Patricia Hetu-Tkacik, career development facilitator, Career & Professional Dev; Julie Silbar, ticketing services supervisor, Woldson PAC; Michelle O’Connell, program asst II, Woldson PAC; Morgan Owen, program coordinator, UMEC; LaShantay Walls, counselor, Admission; Riana Slyter, counselor, Admission; Sharon Maher, program asst II, Visit Office; Taylor Sims, asst researcher, Study Abroad
New Positions/Promotions
Nathan Mannetter, associate director, Admission; Rubena Cela, instructional designer, Virtual Campus; Mary Jean Spadafora, admission application specialist, Virtual Campus; Darci Bierman, program assistant, Communication Studies, Theatre & Dance, Integrated Media
Goodbyes
Meghan McNeil, asst marketing director, Athletics; Michael Sass, asst director, Admission; Victoria Cutting, health educator, Cura Personalis; Jennifer Smelko, senior graphic designer, Athletics; Rachel Tamura, program asst, Communication Studies
Anniversaries
50 35 25 20 5
Ken Sammons, director, Plant
FOCUS ON... ICEMAN At 68, few are thinking about hanging from the vertical surface of an ice face with little more than a pick and sharp cleats . . . FOR THE FIRST TIME! “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” mused Ron Large, associate academic vice president. Ron’s youngest of three children, Marty, 31, asked his dad to join him in an ice-climbing adventure in December at Hyalite Canyon, near Bozeman, Montana. Marty works for the YMCA in Spokane, and is Mountain School co-director for the Spokane Mountaineers. So why would Large consider this? “Certainly, it was something I’d never done before, a new challenge. My son’s willingness to train me was part of it. It was a role reversal, him teaching me instead of the other way around,” Large says. “He is very incremental – do this, then do this, step by step. It works.” Ron’s first question was, “Am I likely to fall?” Second question was, “How difficult is this?” Marty helped Ron learn the technique of ice climbing. They built a plywood wall in Ron’s backyard on which to practice. Because most ice climbs require packing in for some distance, Ron walked regularly on a treadmill for a month before his first climb, carrying a 25-pound backpack, which would normally contain warm clothing, ice tools, climbing harness, cramp-ons, ropes, ice screws, quickdraws, carabiners and a helmet. Ron had such fun in December that he and Marty went ice climbing near Canmore, Alberta, in January.
Allen Albano, locksmith, Plant
Debra Eldredge, prospect development specialist, University Advancement Darci Bierman, program assst., Communication Studies, Theatre & Dance, Integrated Media; Emily Livingston, curriculum coordinator, Registrar’s; Audrey Minton, senior transfer counselor, Admission; Amy Smith, admissions specialist, Admission; Michael Thompson, payroll director, Controller’s Kathleen Nollenberger, program coordinator, Global Engagement, and husband Matt had a baby girl, Althea; Andrew Brajcich, associate professor, Accounting, and wife Alexandra had a baby boy, Edward; Kirk Besmer, professor of Philosophy, and wife Jessica Allen had a baby boy, Tate; Amy Smith, admissions specialist, Virtual Campus, and husband Channing had a baby girl, Rylie; Kristina Li, accommodations specialist, Disability Access, and husband Leo had a baby boy, Luka.
At 68, why not try ice climbing for the first time? Ron Large did.
“I consider myself fairly athletic. I’ve always been outside, hiking, biking, kayaking. I just challenged myself, ‘Can you do this?’” Ron is a Rudolf regular, running or biking three to four days a week. And his physical conditioning only makes him better at his job in College Hall. A professor of Religious Studies here since 1988, Ron served as associate dean of Arts & Sciences for three years, and for the past seven years as associate AVP. Ron’s running on a full tank, indeed.
Efforts to Reduce Energy Use, Emissions Recognized
Dalean Neiner, Support Tech II, ITS
Cradle Call
COMETH
Every donation to Zags Give Day on March 19 will be matched by a generous Gonzaga family. This year’s bracket-style twist pits GU favorites against one another in head-to-head challenges in which each icon that inspires the most unrestricted scholarship gifts will advance into the next round until an overall champion is named. Learn more at gonzaga.edu/zagsgiveday.
Gonzaga was honored with the 2019 Clean Air Award by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency for its exemplary work to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions through voluntary measures and innovative practices. In the last 10 years, GU has seen a 23-percent increase in gross square footage of the buildings it manages – 2.9 million square feet requiring lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation. During that time the University’s overall consumption of natural gas has dropped by 27 percent, electric consumption grew by only 4 percent, and overall emissions have decreased by implementing strategies to increase campus energy efficiency. Ken Sammons, Tomson Spink, Jim Angelosante and Jim Simon were recognized on behalf of the University.
Productive Discomfort becoming Topic of Discussion Among Faculty
In the Jesuit tradition, a group on campus is leaning into the tension and engaging in a series of “Productive Discomfort” sessions.
In a renewal of longstanding efforts, a core group of Gonzaga faculty (and some staff) are engaging in conversations to improve fluency about teaching in a more inclusive way, says assistant professor Jeff Dodd, director of the Center for Teaching and Advising. “We’ve tried to identify areas where we can enhance the programming for faculty who are seeking enrichment in other areas,” says Dodd. “Among those is an emphasis on inclusive pedagogy and inclusive educational practices, as
well as thinking more deeply about how issues approaches and practical considerations. relating to factors of identity influence classroom In several instances, faculty members said dynamics.” the journey has enlightened their personal perspectives. Dodd is facilitating the sessions along with Raymond Reyes, chief diversity officer. The The productive discussions dovetail with group gathers monthly to immerse in relevant programming designed to help ready the topics, and for the purpose of intentionally University for the fall 2019 launch of the Critical fostering a dynamic community. Another benefit Race and Ethnic Studies minor. A full-day of the group is that members are informed about academic conference on best practices for opportunities for professional development and teaching in more inclusive ways was held in late continuing education. February and the group plans to continue the conversations monthly through the rest of the Nearly two dozen staff and faculty gathered over year. a lunch hour in January and enthusiastically discussed relevant theoretical educational
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From Fort Worth to Spokane, Zags all the way Camesha and Chad Little began a new life in Spokane in September 2017 when Camesha accepted an offer with Gonzaga School of Law. Chad is employed here now as well, as a building coordinator in the Hemmingson Center, while working on a post-baccalaureate degree in preparation for medical school. The Littles both grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and met in high school. To this day, their parents still live five minutes from one another. Leaving family behind was a harder adjustment for them than facing the eastern Washington winters; Camesha loves our changing seasons. She wasted no time immersing herself in Spokane community causes. She helped with the Friends of the Black Lens fundraising efforts for the new Carl Maxey Center in the East Central Community. Continuing the work she enjoyed as a lawyer in Fort Worth, Camesha is co-chair for the Diversity Section of the Spokane County Bar Association, where her leadership is focused on growing community for attorneys of color,
women, and members of the LGBTQ+ legal community. Here at the Law School, Camesha is assistant dean of students and the director of the academic and bar exam support program. It’s a broad role that encompasses providing student services Camesha and Chad Little such as accommodations support, crisis/emergency resources, and oversight Camesha and Chad are big fans of college of student life organizations; in addition to bar basketball. During the 2017 tournament run, exam and study skills coaching. back in Texas, Camesha was rooting for the Zags “Little did I know, this role was a perfect fit to win it all, and little did she know she would get for me,” Camesha says. “I had practiced as an to root for them in person during the very next attorney for a short time and went into academic season. work. I was ready for advancement in my career, Here’s a hearty March Madness welcome to yet and my undergrad area of study was social work, another Gonzaga employee couple. which fits perfectly in this role.”
WCC Tournament Format Changes; Zag Teams Won’t Play until Semifinals Beginning with the 2019 WCC Basketball Tournament, March 7-12 in Las Vegas, the men’s and women’s championship format will change, whereby seeds 7-10 will compete in the opening round (Thursday), the winners meeting seeds 5-6 in the second round (Friday), those winners playing seeds 3-4 in the third round (Saturday), and those victors meeting the top two seeds in the semifinal round (Monday). The championship games are Tuesday. Thurs.
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Winner Winner Winner #1 #4 #5 #9 Champion
Winner Winner Winner Winner #2 #3 #6 #10
Mission: Possible is celebrating 20 years of serving others over spring break. March 9-16, 75 Gonzaga students, staff members Ally Clapp, So Yung Park, Jim Simon, Jeff Dodd, Darcy Phillips, Christina Thomas and Ben Goodwin, and assistant professor Kathy Nitta will work in community with local folks in New York, Knoxville, Montgomery, Chicago, San Francisco, Tacoma and Neah Bay, Wash. Simon reflects on a previous Mission:Possible trip. “Mission: Possible begins with a bus ride, usually very early in the morning. Groggy students arrive at DeSmet circle from every direction. What we have in common is a commitment to scatter and serve through the Center for Community Engagement’s Mission: Possible trip. “Our education and service work revolves around sustainability’s many forms. One day, you might find us clearing the invasive species French Broom from a former hillside quarry in the Marin Headlands and the next in the Mission District learning about the impact of gentrification on people of color.
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Making Positive Change in U.S.
“If sustainability is about the intersections of people, planet and prosperity, the trip explores all of these areas, making effortless connections between what is learned in the Bay Area and what could be done in the Inland Northwest about habitat restoration, waste reduction and climate change. Students have returned from the Mission: Possible trip to San Francisco and applied to the Student Green Fund to do projects related to what they learned on the trip. “Mission: Possible is a fantastic opportunity for me, as a staff member, to be a co-educator in these student journeys. I often say that one week of Mission: Possible is like six months of meetings and relationship building back on campus. I’ve watched many of the trip participants go on to work or serve in sustainability related fields, and I have even hired a few of them to work as student assistants in my office. “Mission: Possible ends with a bus ride back from the airport. There’s a buzz about the work we did. We have in common is a commitment to sew what we’ve learned, on campus and in our communities.”
VIEW ONLINE AT: www.gonzaga.edu/spirit
spirit GONZAGA FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSLETTER
›› Kindling Careers, 2 ›› Living Large, 3 ›› A Perfect Fit, 4 MARCH 2019 | VOL 20 | #6
REMEMBERING THE START OF 20-YEAR ZAG TOURNAMENT RUN It’s almost an afterthought among current Gonzaga fans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that amazing run to the Elite Eight of the 1999 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament that ignited a streak of consecutive tourney appearances that now stretches into its third decade. But Spirit didn’t want to let the occasion pass without a reflection on those two weeks in March, 20 years ago, that remains as meaningful today as it was then to a Zag Nation that was only beginning to build at the end of the century. My wife, Mary (’84), was a week away from delivering our second child, Brook (’21), and there was no way I could make the trip to Phoenix for the Regional NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games, March 18-20. On the 20th anniversary of Gonzaga’s breakout season that saw the Zags power through So we sat together in our family room with the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, the 2019 men’s basketball team is looking our almost-5-year-old, Ben (’16), and watched to to extend its tournament streak to 21 straight years . . . heading into the last week of the as Gonzaga defeated Florida on a most regular season as the country’s top-ranked team. dramatic Casey Calvary tip, and advanced to the Elite Eight. Monson, Mark Few and Bill Grier – the There was no program, no trumpets guys who had built that amazing team. With blaring or cheerleaders chanting. There a huge lump in my throat, I drove to campus. was just “together.” The mayor, a county Men’s Basketball It just seemed like that was the place to be. To commissioner, judges, civic leaders, alumni, By the Numbers my surprise, so did an estimated 1,500 other supporters, students, faculty and staff. All of loving Gonzaga fans. We assembled in front us, in one spot, to share our great joy in this NCAA Tournament of Crosby Center and the Bing statue, and team. We must have milled around for more Appearances 21 (1995, 1999-2018) streamed northbound down DeSmet alley to than an hour before the crowd started to Tournament Record 31-21 the east circle of the Administration Building dissipate, talking about the previous game, Last Year Sweet 16 (now College Hall). It was packed. News sets the missed shot by Quentin Hall and the from all three Spokane TV stations, who had steamroller-like charge to the bucket and putbeen camped out on our campus for the past back by the mighty Casey, with 4 seconds left. We would lose by 5 to eventual national And how time stopped for those 4 seconds, champion Connecticut in that next game, but week, were there to capture it all. every Zag fan around the world holding their the indelible mark the Zags left on Division breath until the clock rolled to 0:00, in what I basketball that March has not worn thin in seemed like slow motion. Women Zags Continue to Roll two decades. This year’s tournament will be 21 straight for the Bulldogs, fourth longest We’re into our third straight decade of NCAA Quick Facts current streak of NCAA appearances behind tournament success now, with nine Sweet Won 14 of last 15 WCC Titles a few teams you may have heard of: Kansas Sixteens, two other Elite Eights and one Won 8 WCC Tourney Titles (29), Duke (23) and Michigan State (21). championship game added to our resume. But Been to 9 of last 10 NCAA Tournaments no one who was around since 1999 will forget I remember feeling so overwhelmed with that Cinderella season, and the Zag love we all First appearance 2007 pride that Saturday afternoon, despite the shared. God bless our University. loss. Proud of each one of those student4 times to the Sweet 16 athletes who had represented our beloved Dale Goodwin (’86) 1 time to the Elite Eight Gonzaga so well, and their coaches – Dan Spirit Editor
MARCH 2019